The newsroom reviewed a recent YouTube video from SharePoint Maven Inc that demonstrates how organizations can make metadata multilingual by translating terms in the SharePoint Term Store. In the video, the presenter walks through the steps shown in a companion blog post and demonstrates how to enable additional languages, add translations for terms, and how those translated labels appear automatically to users based on their language settings. Consequently, the piece offers practical guidance for global teams that want users to see taxonomy labels in their native tongue without duplicating term stores. Importantly, this article summarizes the video’s content and evaluates tradeoffs and challenges for editorial readers planning to adopt the approach.
What the Video Shows
First, the video clearly demonstrates how to add alternate working languages in the Term Store via the SharePoint Admin Center. The presenter opens a term or term set, selects a language, and enters translated labels and optional descriptions or synonyms, showing each step in a straightforward manner. Then, viewers see how the system lists available language versions for each term and how those entries populate for end users. Finally, the video confirms that users automatically see term labels in their preferred language based on profile or browser settings.
Moreover, the video points out that adding languages triggers background processes that update site collection caches, which may temporarily affect performance. Therefore, the presenter recommends scheduling such changes during off-peak hours to minimize user impact. In addition, the walkthrough highlights the tenant-level nature of the Term Store, which helps maintain a single unified taxonomy across sites. As a result, administrators can manage one taxonomy while supporting multiple languages.
How the Translation Mechanism Works
In the video, the presenter differentiates the Term Store translation system from SharePoint site language settings, noting that they operate independently. This separation allows managed metadata to remain consistent at the tenant level while presenting localized labels to users. Consequently, a single term can hold multiple language entries and a user will see only the label that matches their language preference.
Next, the video explains that adding a working language is a two-step process: enable the language in the admin interface, and then add translations for individual terms or term sets. Additionally, the presenter shows how to add synonyms and descriptions to support search and clarity across regions. Thus, the demonstrated workflow emphasizes both configuration and content work to fully localize metadata.
Benefits for Global Teams
First and foremost, translated term sets promote global consistency while offering local relevance. Organizations avoid maintaining separate taxonomies for every language, which significantly reduces administrative overhead and lowers the risk of inconsistent terminology. Consequently, users across regions can tag and find content using familiar labels, which improves adoption of metadata practices.
Furthermore, translated terms improve search and filtering for multilingual users because queries and filters can match localized labels. In addition, the video suggests that enabling language support can boost user engagement in governance processes by removing language barriers. Therefore, teams that invest in localization often see smoother classification and stronger compliance with tagging policies.
Tradeoffs and Practical Challenges
However, there are tradeoffs to consider when enabling translations at scale. For example, adding languages invokes a timer job that updates site caches, and large or frequent changes can affect performance or take time to propagate. Consequently, teams must plan deployments carefully and communicate maintenance windows to end users. Moreover, administrators must weigh the convenience of a single tenant taxonomy against the complexity of managing translations for many terms.
Another challenge involves translation quality and ongoing maintenance. Automated translations may speed the process, but they can miss context-specific meanings or technical terms. Therefore, organizations often need human review and a clear governance model that assigns responsibilities for creating and updating translations. Finally, large taxonomies require effective workflows, versioning, and testing to prevent inconsistencies and to ensure that synonyms and descriptions remain accurate across languages.
Recommendations and Best Practices
To reduce risk, the video encourages planning and phased rollouts. For instance, administrators should enable languages during off-peak hours, test translations in a staging environment, and pilot with targeted user groups before a full deployment. In addition, establishing a governance plan that defines roles for translators, reviewers, and owners helps maintain translation quality over time.
Moreover, combine automated tools with human review for accuracy and context. Also, prioritize languages based on user populations and business needs to avoid unnecessary overhead. Finally, document translation standards and fallback behaviors so that users encounter consistent metadata even when a localized label is not yet available.
In summary, the SharePoint Term Store translation feature, as demonstrated by SharePoint Maven Inc, offers a practical way to localize managed metadata for diverse teams. While it brings clear benefits for discoverability and adoption, it also introduces operational considerations and governance demands that organizations must address through careful planning and ongoing maintenance.
